Sheet-gathering machine.



A. M. PRICE. SHEET GATHERING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED HOV. 22, 1909.

Patented July 26, 1910.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

JH/Uw 7": kj7il5eri Price,

A. M. PRICE. SHEET GATHERING MACHINE. APPLIUATION FILED NOV. 22, 1909.

965,598., Patented July 26, 1910.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A. M. PRICE.

SHEET GATHERING MAGHINE.

APPLICATION IILED NOV. 22, 1909.

' Patented July 26, 1910.

SSHBETS-SHEBT a.

A. M. PRICE. SHEET GATHERING MACHINE. APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 22, 1909.

SHEET 4.

6 2 Vu m u & B t n m a P 5 SHEETS- mum mmmm mm .mmu unmmm Patntedl July 26, 1910.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5- UNITED STATES PATEN OFFICE.

ALBERT M. PRICE, or ELGIN', rmlmors, assrenon T0 znno MANUFACTURING COMPANY, or cnrcaeo, ILLINOIS. p I

SHEET-GATHERING MACHINE.

Specification of Latters ra tent. Patented J uly 26, 1910.

' Application filed November 22, 1909. Serial No. 529,253.

stacks or piles at points presented in succession to the point of delivery to them of the sheets.

In the accompanying drawingsFigure 1 is a plan view of-my improved gatheringmachine in the preferred form of embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged section taken approximately on the line 2, Fig. 1, but showing only one of the series of gathering-cars; Fig. 3 is a plan view, enlarged over the scale observed in Fig. 1, of the stationary car-supporting gathering a table, showing its straight section and, by

dotted representation, certain details of con struction; Fig. 4 is a broken plan view of the table showingits straight section; Fig. 5 is an enlarged section online 5, Fig. 3, showing one of the cars in end elevation; -Fig. 6 is'a broken view in side elevation of the table and a car surmounting it; Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of one of the similar cars, showing by dotted lines its link-connection with an arm, shown broken away,

through the medium of which the car is driven; and Figs. 8, 9, 10 and 11 are enlarged views in longitudinal sectional elevation, the section beingtaken through the cutting and scoring rolls and through the sheet-delivering means at opposite sides thereof,shown in Fig. 2, these views illustrating progressively the action of the rolls in partially severingxa sheet of gum, or the like, and the action of the delivery from.

the rolls in completing the severance.

While my improved machine is adaptabl to gathering into orderly piles, from a proper delivery, sheets of any material, whether of paper, metal, cloth, candy, cement, or the like, I have especially devised it as an attachment to cooperate with the sheet-scoring, cutting and delivery mechanisms employed in the manufacture of chewing-gum in sticks; and for convenience in explanation the description hereinafter contained is confined to that application of my invention.

In the manufacture of chewing-gum, as the practice has come under my observation, the mixed ingredients, in dough-like condition, are fed through a hopper between sheeting-rolls, from which the gum passes, in

a continuous sheet upon an endless traveling apron, between a pair of scoring and cutting rolls. The surfaces of these last-named rolls are adapted to score the sheets into stick-defining sections of uniform size, to adapt the sheet-to be readily broken up, when sufiiciently dry, into sticks, which are preparedfor-the market by wrapping and boxlng them. Prior to the use of my invention, the practice prevailed of delivering the scored sheets upon suitable trays in the hands of employees, of whom a large numher were required in constant attention upon the delivery; but my present machine has enagled all such employees to be dispensed wit The cooperating scoring-rolls 8 and 9, hereinbefore referred to, and which'carry similar cooperating cutters 10 and 10, are adapted to receive the sheet from continuous-sheet delivery, indicated at 11, the roll 9 being suitably geared, as represented at 12 in Fig. 2, to a roller 13 at one end, of an endless sectional-sheet-conveying belt 14, the forward end of which passes about a roller 15, the gearing being such (we Fig. 2) as. to cause thisbelt to travel at a somewhat higher rate of s eed than the scoring-rolls.

An inclined gui e-board 16 directs the severed sheets, as they come from the rolls 8 and 9, upon the apron 14, which delivers them, in uniformly spaced succession, at its forward end, from which they ass over a suitably inclined stationary gulde-board 17. Cooperating with the parts thus described is a table 18 surrounded by or affording a circular track cont-alning a strai htsection to register and aline with the s eet-delivery, the table serving to carry traveling cars upon which the sheets are delivered in succession. The table '18, as shown, is annular and circular except for a strai ht section 19. It is supported at interva s onvertical posts 20 in position to extend horizontally with its straight section lying underneath and parallel with the delivery-end portion of the apron 14; and about the inner edge of the annulus extends and conforms thereto a vertical car-guiding flange 21.

vertical rotary shaft 22 which may be driven from the scoring-r0119 by suitable gear-connection therewith, that shown (most clearly in Fig. 2) comprising a beveled gear 23 on the shaft 22, with which meshes a beveled inion 24 on one end of a suitably journaled horizontal shaft 25 carrying on its opposite end a beveled gear 26 enga ed by a beveled inion 27 on the lower en of a suitablyournaled vertical shaft 28, which carries on its upper end a beveled pinion 29 in driven engagement with a"beveled gear 30 on the shaft of the roll 9. Similar traycarrying cars, or carriages, 31, of the preferred construction hereinafter described,

of a link 41 are caused to travel upon the table in succession and in timed relation to the delivery, in a circular path except as to the straight section, which they are caused to follow for the purpose hereinafter ex lained. The car conslsts of a rectangular dy-portion, or frame, 32 carrying on its under side,- near the outer edge, two similar pairs of swiveled caster-wheels 33 at a suitable distance apart and alining with each other, and in a plane midway between the pairs of wheels 33, and near the out-er edge of the frame, a single swiveled pair of caster-wheels 33. The car runs on these Wheels upon the table. From each of the two opposite corners of the inner end of the car-frame depends a pair of fixed guide-rollers 34 spaced apart to admit between them the flange 21, which they embrace; and flanges, or stops, 35 project upwardly at the sides of the frame to hold in place and assist in guiding thereto a rectangular tray 36 in loading it upon the car. A pair of similar leaf-springs 37, affording a tray-seat, extend parallel with each other across the top of the car-frame, each being secured at one end and normally inclining upwardly toward its opposite free end at the advance side of the car, where it terminates in a stop-flange 38. The purpose of seating a tray on these springs is hereinafter explained. To drive the cars about the table, each is connected with a head 39 on the shaft 22 by a ri id arm 40 extending radially from the head and pivotally connected, at its outer end, with the free end fpivoted at its opposite end to the bottom 0 the car-frame near the inner side of the latter. Twelve cars are shown to .be provided on the table, but the number may be greater or smaller, though the size of the table should be such as to be filled by the number of cars employed when extending, as they do, radially on the circular portion of their support with. their inner At the" center of the table is' provided, in suitable bearings (Fig. 2), a

corners in close proximity to each other. Upon the seating-springs 37 on each car is removably sup orted a tray 36 conforming in sha e'to an being in area somewhat less than t at of the car on which it seats but greater'than that of a-sheet of gum, indicated at 42 in Fig. 2, to be gathered.

With the sheet-scoring and cutting, and sheet-deliver mechanisms in motion, the shaft 22 is riven to turn the arms 40 and thereby drive the cars about the table 18 in a path defined by the flange 41, which, by engagement therewith of the rollers 34, guides the movement of the cars. The operations are so timed that as acar passes, at its advance-end, beyond the corres onding end of the delivery-apron 14, the .oremost of a series of the severed sheets of gum 42 on that apron will have been fed across the guide-plate 17 sufficiently far to extend the advance-end of the sheet into the adjacent spring-elevated end of the tray on that car, by the continued movement of which the sheet is spread upon the bottom of the tray. Thus the car-carried trays receive, in succession, a sheet of the gum from the delivery 14; and in each succeeding passa e of a car beyond the advance-end of the de iveryapron it receives an additional sheet of the gum, spread in an orderly manner onto its tray upon the precedin sheet, until the trays become adequately lled, in succession, each with a pile or stack of the gum-sheets, when they are removed, in that succession, from the cars by an attendant or attendants and replaced by empty trays. The delivery to a car is effected while it is running on the straight section of the table, which extends parallel with the delivery, the ath being, in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, defined by the flange 21; and this mahner of delivery is an important feature of my improvement, since unless the track or ath extends thus the sheets will not only ail of orderly piling upon their gatheringtrays, but they will be warped and twisted in their delivery to the trays and become torn and broken. The deflection in the course of the cars at the straight section 19 is made possible by their flexible, or link, connection with the driving-arms 40.

The tension of the springs 37 is so gaged as to cause them to resist depression under the weight of an empty tray 36, but to be overcome more and more as the tray becomes loaded with successive sheets 42. This is an important provision, that is to say, the pro- VlSlOIl of a tray-seat depressible for the gaging purpose hereinafter described, inasmuch as it renders practically uniform the distance a sheet must move across the plate 17 to reach the surface presented to it in a tray, which distance would become less and less with accretion of the sheet-pile and thus cause the advance-end of each succeeding sheet to meet that surface sooner and thereby impair the regular spreading of the s eets one u on the other. Such irregu-v larity is avoi ed by causing the progress1ve depression of the seating-springs to present a proximately the same distance from the advance-end of the sheet-delivery notwithstanding the increasing height of the pile of sheets in the trays.

It will be observed, upon reference to Figs. 8 to 11, inclusive, in connectionwi-th the following explanation, that the cutters 10 and 10' do not meet to entirely sever the continuous sheet of gum as it passes between them from the delivery 11. They are of slightly greater-hei ht than the circumferential and longitudinal scoring-knives 43 and 43 on the rolls, but insufiiciently hi h to cut entirely through the sheet, where y they leave the partially severed sheet 42 united to the continuous sheet by a thin web 42 (Fig. 10); This is. to avoid tendency of the advance-end of the continuous sheet to 'adhere to the scoring-roll 9 and follow it about, when it would encounter the rear end of the guide-plate 16 and disorganize the operation of the machine. Byleavin the partially-severed sheet thus attache in moving across" the plate 16 upon the apron 14, it lifts the advance-end of the continuous sheet over the receiving-end of the guide-plate; and since the apron 14 travels at a somewhat greater rate of speed than the rolls 8 and 9, to space upon it uniformly the sheets 42 from each other, the frictional action of the apron upon the severed sheet will exert upon it sufficient dra to pull it a art, at the web 42", from the a Vance-end o the continuous sheet.

What I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a sheet-delivery device and automatic means for receiving therefrom a sheet, conveying the sheet through an endless path and presenting the sheet repeatedly to said device in proper time for successive sheets to be deposited therefrom upon the first.

2. In a "machine of the character described, the combination of a sheet-delivery device and automatic means for gathering sheets therefrom one by one and in succession and carrying them in separated relation to each other through an endless path and presenting the sheets so gathered in order to said delivery-device in proper time for each sheet so conveyed to receive upon it in order another sheet.

3. In a sheet-gathering machine, the combination with sheet-delivery means, of automatic sheet-gathering means and means for moving the same continuously in a path past the delivery-end of said delivering-means, to take from said end sheets-in succession at the circuit for presentation repeatedly to said end for the accumulation therefrom of sheets in piles. 1

at. In a machine of the character described, the combination of sheet-cutting rolls, a sheet-delivery device moving at a higher rate'of speed than said rolls and cooperating therewith to receive sheet-mater1al passed between them, and means operating to receive from said device a sheet,

and resent the same repeatedly to sai device in pro er time for successive sheetsto be deposite therefrom upon the first.

5. In a sheet-' athering machine, the combination with s eet-delivering means, ofan endless car-path in substantially the same horizontal plane with said sheet-delivering means, and having a straight section extending beneath the delivery-end of said means, cars movable on said path, and means operating to move the cars thereon continuously during the progress of delive from and toward said straight section an on the latter-past said'delivery-end, for the purpose set forth.

6. In a sheet-gathering machine, the com- 'bination with sheet-delivering means, of an endless car-path in substantlally the same horizontal plane with said sheet-delivery meansand having a curved section and a straight section, the latter extending beconvey the same through an endless (path neath the delivery-end of said means, cars movable on said path, and means operating to move the cars about said curved section and along said straight section past said delivery-end, for the purpose set forth.

7. In combination, a pair of sheet-cutting rolls cooperating to partially sever a sheet passing between them, sheet delivering means cooperating with said rolls to receive sheetmaterial passed between them and complete the severance of the sheet, and sheet-gathering means moving in a continuous path past the delivery-end of said delivering-means to receive therefrom the sheets and form successive piles thereof by repeated movements of the gathering means past said end, for the purpose set forth.

8. In combination, a pair of sheet-cutting rolls cooperating to partially sever a sheet passing between them, sheetdelivering means moving at a higher rate of speed than said cutting-rolls and cooperating therewith to receive sheet-material passed between them and complete the severance of the sheet, and sheet-gathering means movin in a continuous path past the delivery-en of said delivering means to receive therefrom the sheets and form successive piles thereof by repeated movements of the gatheringmeans past said end, for the purpose set forth. I

.9. In a sheet-gathering machine, the combination with sheet-deliveringmeans, of a stationar table in the same horizontal plane with sai sheet-delivering means and having a circular path forming section and a straight-path-forming section extendlng beneath and parallel with the delivery-end of said sheet-deliveringmeans, cars movable on the table, and means for guiding the cars along said path-sections, for the purpose set forth.

10. In a sheet-gatherin machine, the

combination with sheet-dc ivering means,

of an annular table substantially horizontal throu hout having a circular section and a straig t section extending beneath and parallel with the delivery-end of .said means,

cars movable on the table, and means for "guiding the cars in a circular path about said circular section and in a straight path along said straight section, for the purpose set forth.

12.'In a sheet-gathering machine, the

combination with sheet-delivering means, of

' a table extending, as to a section thereof, be-

neath the delivery-end .of said means, a guide-flange extending in a partial circle partway about said table and having a straight section extending underneath and parallel with said delivery-end, and cars movable on the table and provided with guide-rollers engaging said flange, for the purpose set forth.

13. In a sheetgathering machine, the combination with sheet-delivering means,of an annular table extending, as to a section thereof, beneath the delivery-end of said means, cars movable on the table, means for guiding the cars in a circular path toward and from said delivery-end but past the same in a straight section of said path par allel with said'end, a rotary shaft at the center of the table, and arms radiating from said shaft and flexibly connected at their outer ends with the cars, for the purpose set forth.

14. In a sheetathering' machine, the combination with s eet-delivering means, of an annular table extending, as to a sect1on thereof, beneath the deliver -end of said means, cars movable on the ta le, means for guiding the cars in a circular path toward and from said delivery-end but past the same in a strai ht section of said path parallel with sai end, pivoted links on the cars, a rotary shaft at the center of the table, and arms radiating from said shaft and pivotally connected at their outer ends with the free ends of said links, for the purpose set forth. i

15. In a sheetathering machine, the combination with s eet-delivering means,of a table extending, as to a section thereof, beneath the delivery-end of said means, cars movable on the table and provided with depressible tray-seats, and means for guiding the'cars in a circular path toward and from said delivery-end but past the same alon a straight section of said path parallel with said end, for the purpose set forth.

16. In a sheetathering machine, the combination with s eet-delivering means, of a table extending, as to a section thereof, beneath the delivery-end of said means, cars movable on the table and provided with spring tray-seats, and means for guiding the cars in a circular path toward and from said delivery-end but past the same alon a,

straight section of said path parallel with said end, for the purpose set forth.

17. In a sheet-gathering machine, the combination with sheet-delivering means, of a table extending, as to a section thereof, beneath the delivery-end of said means, cars movable on the table and provided with tray-seating leaf-springs fastened at their outer ends to the rear sides of the cars to extend their free ends toward the opposite sides thereof, and means for iding the cars in a circular path toward and from sa'iddelivery-end but past the same along a straight section of said path parallel with said end, for the purpose set forth.

" ALBERT M. PRICE.

In presence of CHAS. E. GAYLono,

RALPH SCHAEFER. 

